


The Reluctant Spectre

by MeanDogGreen



Series: The Early Bird Universe [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Reapers, Anything that burns is gonna burn slow, Because uplifted doggos are shamefully rare in scifi, Gen, I've never written sexy times so if there are any it won't be for a while I bet, Many Shepards-it is a big old family, talking dogs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-05-07 14:29:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19211332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeanDogGreen/pseuds/MeanDogGreen
Summary: Decades after the disastrous first contact between the Citadel Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy, tensions between Turians and the other Galactic species remain high. As part of an effort to demonstrate the potential of the Hierarchy as a Galactic civilization, an agreement has been reached to apprentice a young Blackwatch commander to the Council's most infamous Spectre: Hannah Shepard. Will the pair be able to set aside a mutual dislike for one another and work to undo the dark machinations of a rogue state? Or will the galaxy plunge into flame and blood once again?





	1. Rainy Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hello AO3! This is an edited version of story I have posted on FF.net, I have come to AO3 to experiment with its features and maaaaaybe transition over if I like it more as a platform. This is a story set in what I call The Early Bird Verse, a larger ME AU where basically Humanity made contact with the Citadel during the Krogan Insurrection and well how it works out will become apparent as the story unravels. Turians are the newcomers to galactic civilization, viewed with derision and suspicion by many, but with their introduction to the ranks of the galaxy' most elite law enforcement, perhaps that will change?

Saren hated the rain nearly as much as he hated the cold. Of course, being a Turian he was accustomed to a warmer climate with mild rainfall, as was the case in most populated areas of the homeworld Palaven. He idly wondered if the only reason his 'benefactor' had decided to bring him to such an awful place as the planet Charybdis was to kick him out of his comfort zone.

_"It certainly would not be surprising from the Butcher of Dromedes."_ He thought with a grimace, sure that the human he'd been told to meet at the dreary Alliance world delighted in the opportunity to see a Turian shiver and clamp their mandibles closed tightly. In the distance he watched as a heavy frigate came in for a landing at the space port. _"_

_I imagine that is her ship."_ He pondered marveling at how the 700 meter long spacecraft seamlessly transitioned through the atmosphere in a feat demonstrating mastery of Element Zero technology still decades beyond the Hierarchy. Having gone through the most hellish training his military designed in centuries of existence and been inducted into the ranks of the elite Blackwatch operatives, Saren liked to think nothing could disturb him. However, the last few days had proven unsettling to say the very least, as he'd been reassigned from his unit and shipped off to a far away human colony. His superiors had been very reticent when he inquired about the reason for his reassignment, telling him that he was going to participate in a program to build more cordial relations with the Council species. His reaction to this at first had been elation at being offered such a unique chance at further proving himself to the meritocracy. This feeling was short lived as they elaborated and revealed the full terms of his involvement in the project. He was essentially going to spend two years as a plaything for a Council Spectre, doing anything they ordered and treating them with the same respect as a superior in the Hierarchy.

_"And not just ANY spectre, but probably the second most infamous operative in all of Citadel Space, and one well known for strong feelings about the growing involvement of Turians with the Galaxy."_ He thought glumly as a pair of helmeted figures in black and red armor deftly stepped off a nearby escalator and began to approach. One paused to grab the other, turning them towards them and emphatically pounding their chest before releasing their partner and staring at Saren, the four bright red reticles on their polarized mask giving the impression of a predatory Arachas. The partner seemed rather bemused by their attitude, playfully punching them on the shoulder before turning towards Saren and removing their helmet, revealing a pair of fierce green eyes on a soft, if weathered face, retaining a gentle beauty even in spite of the faint scars and telltale signs of cosmetic surgery. Blonde hair was tied into a bun and pearly white teeth were exposed as she sneered addressing Saren.

"So, you are the great and powerful Arterius brother Citadel Defense so fervently insisted be drafted into the coalition forces? I have to say I'm not so impressed, you birds average what, 2 meters in height for males? You are barely 1.9, and I can't take your government's word that whatever passes for Biotics among you plate faces will make up for the diminished physicality. Oh well, both your body and mind will be put to the test soon enough I suppose." She sighed and fixed him with a critical gaze before taking a bag from her escort and beginning to search through it. "Just one second, don't be so hasty as your kind is wont to do." She snorted at what Saren assumed was a jibe referencing the popular misconception that Turians acted brashly, an unfair stereotype inspired by the First Contact War when the Hierarchy mounted an expedition into Council Space in a misguided effort to “take the fight to the invaders.”

_"This is her. Hannah FRACKING Shepard. The Butcher of Dromedes, attack skila of the Council. My new employer. S'kak."_ Saren was somewhat annoyed by her blatant racism, but had become accustomed to the various forms of prejudice directed by each Citadel race towards Turians. He suspected that she'd intentionally come across as bigoted as possible to get a reaction and gauge his discipline. It was not likely going to be the case that she'd waste time during missions admonishing him for his species' various supposed failings. _"_

_Yes and of course Asari, Humans, and Salarians ALWAYS do things perfectly and without mistake."_  He desperately wanted to retort, instead keeping his mouth firmly shut as the human woman found what she was searching for and stepped towards him before suddenly grabbing his left arm and inspecting his omni tool with what he assumed was a look of consternation. "Okay that bulky piece of crap linked into your armor can hardly be called a real Omnitool. What is it, fully haptic suspended gel interface? No Neural implant or AI compatibility huh? Well lucky for you I expected this and had a proper augment custom made to fit and adapt to Turian physiology." She said presenting him with a small silver cylinder with a strap of some kind of synthetic fiber and what appeared to be an eyepiece. He looked at it skeptically, unfamiliar with the alien technology and uncomfortable with transitioning from his trusted equipment. She noticed this and scoffed harshly. "Yeah, I know its not tech that has been 'Hierarchy approved' or whatever your hangup is, but you have been given to me to command and outfit as I see fit, and I won't let you compromise any operations by relying on archaic technology. Now take off that piece of junk and put on these before I give up and call the council to let them know the Turian they wanted me to work with was just as set in their ways as stereotypes suggest." He quickly complied, keying in the disconnection code into his omnitool before putting on the eyepiece and awkwardly sliding on the strap with the cylinder. It hung loosely from his wrist, and he noticed it lacked any visible fasteners to tighten it securely to his arm. Shepard looked at him expectantly before strangely covering her face with her many fingered hand.

"Christ, you don't even know how smart fabrics work? Hold the button on the cylinder down until your eyepiece starts to glow around the edges, then hold the strap close to your wrist, folding it over so its not slack and hanging." He did as she instructed and gasped as the black cloth like material of the strap seemed to vibrate and the folds disappear as the strap merged into a single band tied securely, and comfortably, around his arm. She noticed him gawking at this technological marvel and chuckled as he waved his arm out in front of him, familiarizing himself with the AR controls through his eyepiece. "It's a far cry from something you constantly have to fidget with manually, welcome to uh, the last three or four hundred years of modern consumer electronics. 'Course this is hardly civilian tech, I made sure to install all kinds of great mods into it that should work well with your skill set. If you had an implant we could set you up with some Foci and maybe an AI storage unit but-" Saren had had enough of her condescending demeanor and suddenly interrupted her "You are not going to stuff a bunch of computerized xenotech in my head, not if you want me to willingly join you on whatever mission you have planned. I accept this equipment with gratitude, but don't think I don't have a choice in the matter of working with you or not." He interjected harshly, gazing down at the shorter human _"And she called ME short, she's a head shorter than me!"_ He briefly thought.

She seemed somewhat taken aback by this, and the briefest smile played across her lips before puckering up in a sign of disapproval. "Well well well, HE DOES SPEAK!” She elbowed her nearby companion which seemed to mildly annoy him as he merely nodded, his expression hidden behind the visor of his helmet. “Here I was fearing I’d been sent some milksop conformist with no real qualities besides being able to use space magic. Yes you are right in that you have a choice, you could give up and leave never to be bothered by me or likely any other Spectre again. You would lose face as an aspiring member of the military and possibly never rise above Blackwatch commander in rank, or even work past that and become a renowned general in the Hierarchy like your brother. But if you do it will be further evidence that your species is far to insular, traditionalist, and narrow minded to contribute significantly to the greater galaxy. You would live and die for the Hierarchy and be remembered well by its citizens, but for the trillions of people in the rest of the galaxy it would amount to well…" she gave a sly look over to her escort as he removed his helmet, revealing a man with dark skin who finished in a deep voice: "Jack-diddley-S'kak." She smiled at him and fixed Saren with an intensely critical gaze.

He felt as though some kind of apex predator were surveying him for weakness, and adjusted his posture to maintain what he felt was an air of cool confidence and indifference to her intimidating presence. She correspondingly drew herself up to her full height before continuing "I am however, supposed to encourage your cooperation in this foolish endeavor so I will not force any procedures on you however much they might enhance your field performance. As backwards as your culture may be, it's still well outside my powers as a spectre to mandate that you violate spiritual and personal beliefs, hence why I gave you a simple eyepiece linked Omnitool to bring you up to an acceptable standard of equipment. Of course, I will be needing those back if you choose not to join me, and I won't be too disappointed as it was Council funding that paid for it rather than myself." She grinned widely and then muttered under her breath, clearly audible to his Turian hearing "They really want this to work."

Saren was somewhat stunned by her forwardness and blatant disregard for his species civilization and customs, though his indignation turned to frustration as an implication formed in his mind. "You're saying there is some kind of big push for me to help you on missions? Why? Can’t any Turian soldier be requisitioned by Spectre agents for operations as part of the new treaty with the Citadel? Why is it so important that you get **me** as an asset?" He was confounded as she briefly started before breaking out into a predatory wide grin, flashing her perfect white teeth as joy pooled in her emerald eyes, infuriating him with the taunting look of someone that knows something he doesn’t. The dark skinned man behind her wore a grin of his own, chuckling as he shook his head and turned away. "Ok, wow, honestly did not realize how uninformed you were. Hierarchy must have taken our overtures for subtlety a little bit too literally and left me to catch you up." She paused and chuckled before covering her face with her hands in a gesture Saren found strange and adding to his frustration. 

Saren was becoming incensed at being treated like some fresh out of boot camp fledgeling, instead of the seasoned Blackwatch commando he was. "Spare me your condescension human! I have done as my government instructed and reported to you for duty, now tell me what this mission is all about before I walk away and am better for being rid of you!" He angrily gritted out from between his teeth, tired of the blatant disrespect and mockery he was being subjected to by a glorified assassin. This seemed to sober her somewhat as her expression became dead serious and she straightened up to look him directly in the eyes "You are not just going with me on a mission Bird brain, you're going to be evaluated for Spectrehood."


	2. Fish out of water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter Saren meets a few of the crew members aboard Hannah's ship and takes a nap. Meanwhile Hannah and her old friend David have a heart to heart.

_ "Spirits. Somehow in spite of fifteen hundred years of space travel, the Humans have yet to develop elevators that take less time to change floors than it takes to traverse the width and breadth of the vessel." _ Saren thought as he irritably gazed at the indicator for which level the elevator was on. " _ I think from now on I will take the stairs and access ladders. Even going through engineering sections would be faster than this." _   Finally the doors opened on the level where his quarters were assigned, and he exited carrying his duffel bag containing civilian clothes and basic toiletries unlikely to be accessible on a Systems Alliance vessel.

He remained fascinated with the omnitool Shepard had 'gifted' him, it was very much of an intuitive and easy to learn interface. On his lense he could see a dot and distance indicator he followed towards his room as he idly reviewed the various applications and features of the device. Saren was so immersed in familiarizing himself with the alien technology that he barely even had time to avoid a four legged, 150 pound blonde mass as it rushed beneath and between his legs like a furry comet. Saren spun around in a fury before coldly assessing the focus of his frustration, stopping in shock as he realized he'd never seen a creature like it before.

"Sorry! I am so sorry I’m just in a rush to my station I slept in too long and I already have one demerit and-ooooh you aren't part of the crew, who are you?" The creature had turned around and sat on it's hind legs to look up at the Turian. As he had initially assumed it was indeed a quadruped, but even more striking was how it was adorned with various cybernetics as well as a collar of some sort with mechanical manipulators and a prominent speaker.  _ "That must be how it communicates, it probably didn't evolve to vocalize in the same ways as most bipeds. Maybe it's like an Elcor?" _ Saren thought as he scrutinized the creature before responding.

"I am a Hierarchy soldier on loan to the Council pending….Other evaluations, and really I should be asking you such questions. Weren't all crew members briefed about me?" At this the creature seemed to turn its head away in what he imagined was an expression of embarrassment.

"Yeaaaaah I do not have the best memory when it comes to the general going ons of the ship, just an engineering technician so I figure who we pick up and drop off doesn't concern me. I am a Dog, by the way, Golden Retriever to be pedantic, but you should call me by my name: Dimos." The furry dog stretched its body out and yawned, revealing two rows of pointy teeth and a long pink tongue.

"Anything that happens on this ship is your concern, technician Dimos, especially when there is a foreign agent aboard our ship. Now get to your post already, stop gawking at our visitor." Before Saren could dismiss the dog himself, an unfamiliar human man strode down the corridor before stopping and planting a condescending pat on the furry sophont's head. The human then turned to face Saren, displaying a pale face marked with what reminded the Turian of colony paint. It was strange to see on the softer features of a human, he made a mental note to inquire about it later, before adressing the tattooed man himself.

"You have me at a disadvantage as clearly you know me but, eh, what is your rank?" Saren scanned the man from top to bottom and did not see any insignia typical of a military uniform except for a peculiar and unfamiliar badge over the chest. It depicted an avian creature with wings spread out and talons clutching a scroll in one grip and pilum in the other.

"I am Specialist Jarel, assigned to Spectre Shepard as head of this vessel's security. I am glad you have finally arrived as I have many other things to attend to today, what took you so long?" The human's strange strips of short fur above each eye formed together and wrinkles formed on his brow.

“ _ I doubt I will ever get used to how Human and Asari faces contort so much” _ Saren thought before responding   
"Your damn elevator seems to be defective. Perhaps if your technicians did not sleep in." Saren gave a glance to the now retreating quadriped as Dimos trotted away, tail as straight as a rudder. Jarel seemed puzzled by his response

"Defective? But we-" His expression changed suddenly as if he'd suddenly understood the punchline from a joke. His expression turned to a bemused neutral face as he faced Saren.

"Ah-yes of course, we will have to make sure that the elevators are properly, er, operating. Anyways, the reason I am here is to introduce myself and explain the terms of your stay aboard the Hades. Although the Council has decided to place enough trust in you and your government to offer a position among our greatest enforcers of galactic law do not mistake this for an agreement to full disclosure. This is a heavily modified frigate containing both old and new technologies you will need Shepard's explicit permission to even go near unsupervised. Should you go wandering into restricted areas I WILL know. If it turns out you are here for purposes of espionage rest assured that you will be ejected into space via the most convenient airlock. I assure you they are all FAR from defective. Regardless, I suppose I have better things to do than harangue a newbie. I hope you enjoy our accommodations and behave yourself for the duration of this project." With that the man turned away and left towards the elevator, regarding Saren with a small smirk before the doors quickly closed and the elevator departed with a surprising speed.

Unfazed by the peculiar and quite frankly confusing meetings so far, Saren simply sighed and continued on towards his room only to stop suddenly as he heard faint sounds coming within. He heard the door open and had broken into a sprint before it closed, rushing to apprehend the intruder and discover what they were doing in his designated living space. Turning around a corner he initially did not see anything, but caught the tell tale shimmer of a tactical cloak against the wall across from the entrance slowly making its way past. Slyly, he pretended as if he was oblivious,  turning to access the door control, preparing his biotics before violently turning about and performing a biotic pull targeting where he had seen the shimmer. He was rewarded with a sharp yelp and distinct thud as a figure dropped to the ground wrapped in a dark metallic fabric. He immediately set upon them, pinning them to the ground and tearing the cloak off of the squirming infiltrator and standing up to inspect them, one foot planted firmly on their heaving chest, momentarily shocked by what he beheld.

"Who are you? I thought I was the only Turian aboard this ship, so how did you get here and what were you doing in my room?" He made sure to punctuate the latter question by applying slight pressure on the still struggling female turian beneath him. Having a clear look at her, he noticed that she wore colony paint markings of dull green lines snaking over most of her face. He did not recognize the markings as coming from any Hierarchy member state.

"You are not the only turian here you S'kakhead, you are the only HIERARCHY citizen. I was born and raised on New Cascadia. I'm part of the security staff here, and what I was doing is between me and my superiors. Now LET. ME. GO." Saren was still fairly surprised to find a fellow turian on a Systems Alliance vessel, but her explanation was sufficient for him to reccall an intelligence briefing about the world of New Cascadia and the sizable turian population there.

Previous to the discovery of eezo and the Mass Effect, Palaven and its many nations had relied on more conventional means of space travel, colonizing their moon Menae and various other cosmic bodies within the Trebia system. During the Unification Wars numerous dissident factions pooled resources to fund self sustaining generation ships and even sleeper ships sent to distant worlds. Most of these ships would form colonies that would merely be reabsorbed into the Hierarchy in the coming centuries. Some however, would arrive at worlds already colonized by other species. When the sleeper ship Kallixus departed from the Trebia system propelled to a significant fraction of lightspeed by fusion torches, the colonists aboard expected to arrive on an empty world bearing only simple life forms. Instead they were welcomed by an advanced civilization that had never encountered turians before.

Of course, as the planet's biosphere was based around Levo amino acid genetics it took years for the colonists to be properly established as citizens of the Systems Alliance. Centuries later, after the First Contact War had ended with the Hierarchy and Systems Alliance signing the Treaty of Taetrus, the Hierarchy was elated to reunite with their long lost kin on New Cascadia. This elation was short lived however, as it became clear that the Cascadian turians or "Cadians" as they liked to call themselves wanted nothing to do with "The Old World." This was deeply upsetting to many, and with the coming decades the more xenophobic in the Hierarchy would come to resent the Cadians, viewing them as separatists hiding behind the protection of a greater power. Cadians tended to strongly disagree with such characterization. Pondering this Saren looked down at the Cadian woman beneath him, giving an amused huff at her glowering face before relenting and removing his foot from her chest.

"Fine, go and report back to Jarel, and make sure not to leave any details out like how I caught you." He scoffed as he examined her rising to her full height, practically a dwarf compared to the already short(by turian standards) Saren Arterius. She was slim and almost petite in form, wearing a peculiar uniform consisting of loose fitting pants and a thick, hooded overshirt. The woman grimaced before nodding and making to go away, only to be stopped by Saren. "Before you go I would like to know your name, I imagine you already know mine considering you were told to bug my domicile, the least you can do is introduce yourself." He released her and stood back looking at her expectantly.

He could hear her barely restrained hostile sub vocalizations as she grit her teeth before responding   
"My name is Elra Davos, I am a security officer aboard this vessel as well as an N6 ranked marine. Don't think that you catching me was a real achievement, this crap cloak is ancient, I only used it as part of the mission parameters." Saren's mandibles flared in amusement

"Be sure to also include how you incriminated yourself, AND your employer in your report." He grinned at how this seemed to fluster her before walking away to his room already making a  mental list of places to check for surveillance devices. Her making a fairly rude gesture as he turned his back only deepened the humor for him, erupting into a gentle, satisfied chuckle. Finally, as the door to his room opened he was given a proper chance to settle in and, more importantly, assess his surroundings.

Gazing around the room it occurred to him the quarters were a bit more spacious than he had expected especially considering he wasn't a commanding officer aboard the ship. Indeed, his quarters included a personal shower and bathroom as well as a large bed and couches in the living space which was far larger than most Hierarchy captain's quarters possessed. The luxury of his accomodations, particularly the large holovid projector and personal QE enabled terminal, impressed Saren and encouraged him that the scenario he was facing was being handled seriously.

_ They're trying to display some incentive for me to become a Spectre, Hierarchy intelligence likely supplied that I come from a wealthy family. Do not want to risk offending me, or they know that I have already been living in spartan quarters throughout most of my Blackwatch career. They think that I have been missing more luxury and refinement in my environment… They are not entirely wrong on that count. _ Saren thought idly as he reclined on one of the couches and lightly stroked the leather like substance composing its upholstery. He was tired already from standing in the cold and rain but the revelation of his true purpose aboard the vessel with an infamous spectre combined with meeting various personalities and using his Biotics had been draining. He knew that Elra must have planted spying devices in his room  _  Likely in very obvious places, she doesn't seem to have a knack for spy craft.  _ However he also knew that his mission was not about subterfuge  and by letting the surveillance show that he did more in terms of building trust with skeptics.  _ I can find the bugs later, for now I think I"ll nap and after I wake up I'll go to the galley and find out if the accomodations extended to the procurement of quality dextro foodstuffs, not just military rations.  _ He gradually succumbed to dreams of roast Tanula and candied xeratids.

 

In her years of service as a spectre operating on the behalf of the Council, Hannah Xerdu Shepard had taken numerous spectre candidates under her wing from various species. Over time she had learned the various typical strengths and failings of each Citadel race, Saren however presented a real challenge to her. It was not that she was unfamiliar with Turian culture, to the contrary she had thoroughly researched their history and traditions, the greater issue was a lack of past interactions with Hierarchy citizens. She had no real frame of reference for working with someone from the Hierarchy for an extended period of time, and had initially objected to being Saren's tutor on such grounds. It also did not help that Shepard was near universally despised by the Hierarchy and that she had her own reservations about working with someone from what she considered an inept, oppressive, totalitarian state.

_ Totalitarians that can barely even control their own people, and blame the rest of the galaxy whenever they inevitably fail to maintain cohesion within a supposedly 'disciplined' society.m  _ Shepard, much like her numerous detractors in the Hierarchy, still remembered the Dromedes Insurrection, and the necessary measures she and her team had taken to prevent a civil war. She did not hold their resentment against them, it was only natural for the people in power for centuries to feel threatened by a change in the status quo. The Hierarchy had been an established interstellar power for centuries previous to contact with the Council, they were to proud to realize an insular, isolationist ideology doomed their civilization. Recent progress had been made to avert the Hierarchy's collapse, the building of closer ties with the Citadel culminated in the signing of the 1st Terms of Integration.

While progress had certainly been made in bringing Hierarchy turians into the greater galactic community, Hannah and many others remained skeptical of the benefits of pressing forward with integration at the current rate. It made sense for the Council to give the Hierarchy an embassy as part of the terms, but agreeing to allow the submission of Spectre candidates only five years later was foolhardy. Of course she was still going along with the project with the same determination she felt with any other mission; if Saren was Spectre material he would become one, if he wasn't then he'd wash out or die. It was ultimately that simple for Hannah, the greatest source of consternation for her was the surprising aura of hostility radiating from her comrade, David Anderson. She was honestly shocked and growing increasingly concerned about the true depths of his resentment towards the Hierarchy and its citizenry. It was not as if she had'nt known about his prejudice previously, but did not expect him to express such vitriolic sentiment. The fury he’d exhibited on the way to Charybdis when she told him of her apprentice was potentially problematic especially if it clouded his judgment, an unaffordable risk for any spectre operative. As such Hannah decided it would be best to have a heart to heart with her old friend and former student. The door to her office opened and she stood up from her desk to greet Anderson as he entered, clad in full Hephaestus armor, visor retracted.

"Is the Hades being boarded? Should I be wearing armor too?" She joked, somewhat disappointed by the flash of annoyance in his features as he responded   
"You know it might as well be. We have an elite operative of a foreign government in an officer cabin, who for all we know is nothing more than a spy seeking to gain insights into the operating protocols and technologies used by the Council's first ranked law enforcement. I want to be ready when-"   
" **If** candidate Arterius' intentions prove to be different from what was promised then I will handle him myself." Shepard interjected.   
"I don't see any real justification for your accusations Anderson. We both know that the Hierarchy and Citadel have entered this project operating in good faith, with neither faction having anything to gain from sabotaging it. Now take a seat while I fix some drinks for us. Brandy?" Hannah motioned towards a set of comfortable chairs in a nearby alcove and made towards the nearby liquor cabinet. Anderson merely nodded his head before sitting and reclining in one of the offered seats.

"You really should relax Anderson, this is far more straightforward than you might think. All that is going to happen is Saren will accompany me on missions for a couple of years. If he dies or I die because of his incompetence, he washes out, if I fail any missions due to his incompetence, he washes out. Should he prove capable, then everyone wins: the Council gains another agent, and the Hierarchy will have true testament of their ability to enforce galactic stability. Plus, a Hierarchy turian will likely be able to operate more openly and with greater prowess on Hierarchy worlds than a Council species member. We of all people know how big of a cluster fuck can result from basic cultural differences and reluctance to cooperate with aliens." Shepard returned with two glasses containing an exorbitantly expensive cognac, offering one to her guest with an expectant glance at his still glowering expression. Anderson accepted a proffered glass with a nod and, realizing Shepard was in no mood for argument, decided to shift the conversation towards less controversial subject matter.

"How is Madiha doing? Did she get my birthday present?" He smiled softly as his question had an immediate effect on Hannah, her eyes brightening and face transitioning into an easy expression.

"Yes she did, I still wish you'd consulted me before getting her a varren pup, but she's proven to be a more than capable caretaker. She named him Urz, and honestly is more engaged in taking care of him than I am, certainly a better pet keeper than I was at nine." She grinned, remembering the various pet fish she had killed in her childhood. She was proud of her daughter, in spite of having faced more loss than any child should have to, she retained a youthful enthusiam for life and affection for pretty much everything and everyone.

"That's good to hear, it can't be easy for a girl like her to be a Shepard. She has all the brilliance, strength, and confidence you would expect, but I can only imagine what its like to be surrounded by people that expect that from you all the time. I thought it would help if she had someone who loved her no matter whether she lived up to lofty expectations or not." Hnnah smiled at this and nodded

"Having grown up with the same pressures, I know exactly what she's gone through, and I think getting her a pet was a fantastic idea. She definitely is not bullied, but I don't think she has a lot of friends, the other kids are a bit intimidated by her I think. I know when I was her age kids were afraid of me, even before I started kicking the crap out of bullies."

"I can imagine any bully going up against a Shepard does not last long." Anderson laughed, seeing that he attempt at humor had the intended effect Hannah joined in.

"When I was done Kahlee would be there to-" She stopped laughing after realizing what she'd said and glanced at David to see that he had also caught the faux pas. He seemed to go perfectly still for a moment, a twitch briefly interrupting a perfectly stoic neutral expression. His body seemed to become tense for a moment, before the power and confidence typical to Anderson returned. Before Hannah could change the subject he interjected

"She would be there to patch the bully up and remind you to try words before fists. You know, I think she told me the same story at least a hundred times.” He smirked “You will need to try something else if you don't want to bore me to death. Or have you become a turncoat and decided to try and assassinate your fellow spectres? If that was the case a more effective approach would be serving any of your baking or-ack! Ok ok I was just kidding Shepard, no need to get so physical." He rubbed his shoulder where Hannah had given him a strong, if friendly, punch. He smiled and she returned the look before breaking into laughter.

_ "Maybe he has improved in condition, I know that I have. I should keep an eye on him but honestly I think Bau might have been exaggerating when he cautioned that Anderson was 'on the precipice.' Spectres are made of strong enough stuff to get any help we need; Anderson has found a way to move past his loss just as I did."  _ She became much more relaxed and laid back as she conversed with her old friend happily recounting old and new stories. She was so engrossed in conversation she didn't notice small marks from scratching nails on the undersides of Anderson’s chair’s armrests.   
  


His heart pounded in his ear canals and mandibles clenched hard enough to feel like his teeth were about to shatter as the young turian hid in a hollow beneath a Pluma tree. He did not know how long it had been since he had heard the telltale hunting call and hoots of Canoptheridae, but he remembered from school that they didn't tend to stay in the same place long while on the hunt especially in larger packs. He did not know how large the pack looking for him was but enough time had passed he was fairly sure he could leave his hiding place. He crawled a ways before geting up and beginning a hike back in the direction he knew his father and older brother had set up camp. After a few minutes his trek was interrupted by a blood curdling shriek, a shiver of dread ran down his spine as he turned scanned his environment quickly, settling on the source of the terrifying sound.

Easily three klexas in length from head to toe, a grotesque red face under a large crest of fur baring a maw filled with razor sharp teeth dripping saliva, the apex predator stared intently at the young Turian. Generally speaking the ape like predators avoided Turians, having enough intelligence to realize that in spite of being comparatively weaker and slower the plated tool users were a greater threat than any other prey. Alone and unarmed however, a ten year old boy like Saren was a tempting prize for any hungry stalker. The Canoptherid had not begun to move when Saren broke into a desperate sprint towards the safety of his father and older brother, a half moment later it gave a loud whoop and began a loping gait to hunt down its prey.

“Desolas!” Saren cried out in between breaths as he ran as fast as he could, the monstrous beast not far behind him. He knw that he would run out of energy before the wild animal, and was counting on wither finding his family or another hiding place to escape a grisly fate. When he was within sight of the smoke of the campfire he nearly jumped in joy but instead focused the energy into a renewed sprint, only for his thoughts to turn to dread as he tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. His pursuer saw this and gave aseries of hoots as it eagerly approached and stood over him. Saren closed his eyes tightly in anticipation of a brutal slaying, only to be met with a resounding crack of a black powder rifle and a pitiful series of whimpers and screeches as it’s target rolled on the ground in agony. The young Turian opened his eyes and relaxed at the sight, knowing the danger had passed as soon as it gave a final gurgling groan and succumbed to the effects of buckshot.

“Get up little brother, you are safe now. Father is not far behind.” the deep voice of Desolas Arterius interrupted Saren’s fascination with the demise of the animal, complying he stood back up off the ground and turned towards his older brother. He flinched as the larger turian fired the old fashioned firearm twice more into the woods behind the fallen Canoptherid, clearing out any potential members of the deceased ape’s pack.  An older Turian male emerged from the trees behind Desolas, he cradled an ancient hunting rifle in one arm, and placed his other around the cowl of Saren in a comforting, nurturing gesture. The young boy hung his head in shame, unwilling to look the patriarch in his eyes.

“I am sorry for going off by myself, I know it was stupidly dangerous.” 

“Your apology is not nearly as desired as an explanation of  **why** what you did was so stupid, and I want you to do so looking into my eyes so I know you understand the truth of the matter.”

Saren nodded and looked up to the face of his father Caetius Arterius, swallowing a mouthful of spit before answering 

“Going off on my own was stupid and dangerous because it is only when Turians stick together that we can survive.” His Father hummed in approval, his mood lightening as he gazed at the dead Canoptherid.

“Well at least our hunting trip has not turned ot to be as much of a failure as we thought, Des, you go and get the camp ready, we have a lot of work to do field dressing your kill.” A glint in his eye appeared as he removed a skinning knife from a scabbard on his belt and gently pulling his youngest child along towards the cooling carcass. 

  
  
  
  



End file.
